The year is 1918 and the U.S. in engaged in WWI. Hans Funneman migrated to the U.S. from Germany in 1896 seeking a better life and wanting to escape political persecution. Hans is a well known pacifist who has spoken out against U.S. entry into the war. Since U.S. entry, Hans has toned down his rhetoric and has "laid low" as he wants to keep his job. However, he has very strong sentiments against the U.S. being involved in this war. His parents and siblings still live in Germany, one of his brothers has been drafted into the German army.
After coming to the U.S., Hans married and has four children between the ages of four and twelve. His wife is the descendant of English immigrants to the U.S. and has family living in London. Prior to the war, Hans worked in a factory producing metal containers to store paints and chemicals. During the war, the factory was converted to a munitions and weapons plant which produces the armaments to help the U.S. be successful in the Great War.
Hans and his wife purchased a new home back in 1916 and have a large mortgage requiring them to make monthly payments. His wife had done some odd jobs to help make some extra income. However, she has become quite ill and cannot work while requiring expensive medicine to help with her illness. Some people have died of this type of illness without having access to the medicine.
Hans has become a U.S. citizen and has settled down here in the U.S. However, he still longs for his homeland and would like to go back and visit his family. His boss approaches him with a governmental document requiring all the workers of the factory to swear allegiance to the United States and to support the war cause. All workers must sign this document or lose their job at the plant.
What should Hans do? Should he sign or not sign the document?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think that he should sign it. By signing it he will be able to keep his job and provide for his family. Especially now that his wife is so ill and unable to work.
ReplyDeleteEventhough he wants to visit his family "back home," he is still living in the US and should be loyal. Now, I am not saying he should go to war and kill his family in Germany, but this way it seems as if everyone would "win" because he would keep his job and help his family.
(and maybe he should wait until hte war is over for his little visit (: )
ttfn
Danielle
Um, I think that he should sign the document because he would be able to keep his job and make money to help his family keep thier house and provide medicine for his sick wife. Even though he misses his family, maybe if he eventually earns enough money he can bring his family over to live with him in the United States and they can be together again. Just like Danielle said, I think everyone would "win" that way. Also maybe when the war was over he could go visit his family and maybe move back there if he could get permission to do so.
ReplyDeleteI think that he should definately sign it because if he does not, he will be fire ans unable to provide for his children and sick wife. If he cares for his family he will keep his job. Even though he does not really support the war effort, he should help because he was a part of this country. There might be other chances along the road to go and visit his family.
ReplyDeleteSIGN IT!!! He needs to be able to support his family and if it were me i'd do anything i had to do to do it! He needs to do what is right unless he wants to live without a wife. He may miss his family, but he will have no family if he doesn't keep his job and help support them! So that's my imput!
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough question. I cannot immagine being put in that position. I think there are two scenerios. He can sign it and be bound to the U.S., a decision he has to live with for the rest of his life, or he can refuse and find a new job. Personally, I think I would sign it. If I don't believe in something then I'm not going to support it, but that is a desperate case. I would do my best to find another job so I wouldn't have to sign the document. Who Knows? Maybe I'd go into the drug trade to pay for my wifes medicine. All I know is I would be desperate to keep my job, but I also wouldn't want to swear my allegience to anybody.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Hanns should sign the document. It is important to be honest and stand up for your beliefs. The United States is known to be a free country, he should have to choose between his job or pleasing his boss. If enough people stand for what they truely believe in it wouldn't be an option to fire people for not saying they support the U.S. and the war. I'm sure many of the people that worked with Hanns were against the war.
ReplyDeleteI think that Hans should sign it. If he doesn't he would lose his job and then would not be able to care for his children and sick wife. If he doesn't have any money, his wife will not be able to get the medication she needs to stay alive. Sometimes it is necessary to to what feels wrong because it will help those they love. Plus if Hans doesn't sign it, who is he helping. No good would come of it.
ReplyDeleteI would find it extremely difficult to sign the paper. Imagine signing a document against your home country; manufacturing bombs that will kill and destroy your old friends and family. I'd discuss this issue with my wife. Depending on her wishes, I would probably put my family before a document. No matter what the repercussions were, I'd sign a paper to help my family.
ReplyDeleteThis is a toughie. I wouldn't want to sign the paper if I didn't support what it was saying, but then again, his wife needs the money for the medicine. I guess he should probably sign it. Even though that would be extremely hard because he loves his home country so much. He just wanted to help his family, how did he get into such a huge dilemma? :( Sad.
ReplyDeleteAw man! my frowny face split in half up there. Dang it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what I would decide. I would definitely talk it over with my family. If my significant other died because I couldn't provide the medicine they need because I didn't sign that paper that would be a huge loss. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that. On the other hand I wouldn't want to sign a document that I didn't believe in. If there is anyway he could find another job I would do that, but if not I think he should sign the document. What's more important signing a paper, or saving your wifes life?
ReplyDelete~Alexa
This would be a very hard decision. It would be hard knowing that if you sign the document that you had a part in killing your friends and families at home. On the other hand, if you don't sign it, your spouse will die because they don't have any medicine. It would be extremely difficult to decide, but I don't know how I couldn't choose my spouse and children over my home country. It seems that he doesn't have many options on what he should do which makes it difficult.
ReplyDeleteI think that he should sign the paper because he needs to be able to keep his job. He needs to be able to provide for his family, even if that means making sacrifices by signing the paper. It would be hard though, because he would in a way have a part in killing his native people. But I feel like your family is the most important.
ReplyDelete